The present invention pertains to a toy car launcher which employs a simulated blowgun to launch a light weight toy along a supporting surface. The idea of launching toys by means of blow guns is old in many respects. Various types of toy gliders and simulated aeroplanes have been developed heretofore for launching from blow pipes and similar structures simply by a human being blowing air through the tube into the glider body and shooting it from the tube. One typical example is illustrated in prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,820,321 to Kuhn, dated Jan. 21, 1958. There are a number of other similar patents of which this is typical. In addition, launching a projectile with fins or the like from one end of a tube to which a compressible bulb is connected by a flexible hose to the launching tube comprises the subject matter of another prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,297 to Bednar et al, dated July 25, 1961. Also, prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 to Breslow et al, dated Feb. 28, 1978, shows a simple foot-actuated type of projectile launching device in which a depressable bulb can be stepped upon by a human foot to shoot compressed air into a short tube on the other end of which a foam plastic type projectile is telescopically mounted and from which it is shot by compressed air.
It also is old to project bullet-like projectiles from a tube by means of compressed air generated by a hand-held bulb which may be squeezed to pump air into an inflatable ballonlike member in which air is compressed and retained by a reciprocating valve which may be opened by suction from the hand-held bulb to permit the compressed air in the expansible balloon to shoot the projectile from a tube. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,705 to Jacoby.
It also is old to employ compressed air to project wheeled toys from suitable supports, the air being compressed by a single stroke of a pump. In this regard, prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,896 to Glass et al, dated June 26, 1973 illustrates a wheeled toy in which a body of liquid is contained and latch means secure one end of the vehicle to the lower end of a vertical pump which is operated to introduce air under pressure into the body of the wheeled toy and, upon releasing the latch, the air is discharged from the toy in jet manner to propel it along a surface of some type.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,053 to Goldfarb et al, dated Feb. 3, 1976 likewise employs compressed air developed by a pump to operate an ejector member pivotally supported in a base from which a launching rack extends and a wheeled toy has a friction plug inserted in a socket and is adapted to be engaged by an ejector head on the ejector member in a manner to overcome the friction of the plug and project the wheeled toy forwardly from the rack in a guided manner determined by sighting means on the rack.
Pneumatic means also have been employed in regard to toy cars such as by utilizing both pressure and suction generated by a compressible bellows for purposes of steering a toy car and thus providing remote controls for the same, such structure comprising the subject matter of prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,658 to Okuma, dated May 26, 1970.
The present invention utilizes a blow gun principle in a very simple manner for purposes of launching preferably small, lightweight toy cars by very simple means which differ in principle and construction from the prior art cited and discussed above, details of the improvements afforded by the present invention being set forth below.